A graduate of the School of Public Policy (SPP) is helping to lead US military aid efforts to the earthquake-stricken country of Haiti. Bruce Lindsey, captain of the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier, is currently heading down to the island country by way of Florida. Lindsey received his PhD from SPP in 2005.

According to a CNN article, Gen. Douglas Fraser, head of US Southern Command, says the ship will load up on supplies in Florida before providing aid and helicopter lifts to those stranded in Haiti:

“… The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson [will] steam toward Haiti. The ship was at sea near Virginia when the quake hit and as it sails south, it will stop at Mayport, Florida, Naval Station to pick up supplies.

The Carl Vinson “had a very small complement of aircraft on it when it was at sea,” Fraser told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday. “As … it passes through or by Mayport, we’re going to provision it with as much capability as we can, primarily looking at helicopter capacity … because we need to be able to get around the country.”

The carrier is able to provide needed helicopters for lifting aid from the ship into the country as well as moving construction equipment to places where the machines are needed to clear rubble.”